The road to understanding an ion pump

Abstract

In the past 25 years or so I have been working almost exclusively on two proteins: The Ca2+-ATPase of muscle sarcoplasmic reticulum, and the Na+, K+-ATPase expressed in all animal cells, both are membrane ion pumps representing P- Type ion translocating ATPases. My ambition as a scientist is to completely understand the meaning of their atomic structures. How I became a scientist is described elsewhere (Nuzzo R 2006 Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 103 1165-7), and focus here is given to my struggle towards a deep understanding of Ca2+-ATPase. This is a long but very fascinating and rewarding journey.